Sunday, February 23, 2014

It's harsh to say that an editorial board is lying about something, but that's all you can conclude about this pile of disinformation about the gigantic pile of pork and graft being sold up in Portland.Not only are the bridgespans NOT the problem up there, but the federal high-capacity-transit money could just as easily go to support bus rapid transit as light rail. That would have the additional benefit of allowing a new bridge to be high enough to avoid interference with river shipping (the reason that the proposed form of the CRoCk --- "Columbia River Crossing" -- is too low to allow all current shipping to pass is that light rail can't climb for squat, so the proposal is to buy off the existing upriver shippers whose shipments would be impeded).I'm not a light-rail basher; for years I've supported good light rail projects in appropriate settings. But the cross-river proposal on offer up there is simply a civilian form of contractor-capture of the proposal of Pentagon-esque proportions.There's a common-sense alternative proposal that makes a TON of sense for dealing with the Portland-Vancouver link. Of course, it doesn't cost nearly enough to excite the contractors pulling for the Full Monty Bridgeasaurus.No surprise to see the SJ pimping the CRoCk though -- they've gone all in for the absurd "Salem River Crossing" and the last thing they want is for ODOT to start making decisions based on logic and reason instead of political pull.

LOVESalem

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WORD

Communities exist for the health and enjoyment of those who live in them,

not for the convenience of those who drive through them, fly over them, or exploit their real estate for profit.

-- Ted Roszak, "Where the Wasteland Ends"

"Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us." (Henrik Tikkanen)

"Forget the damned motor car and build the cities for lovers and friends." (Lewis Mumford)Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay

If you are thinking a year ahead, plant seeds. If you are thinking 10 years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate the people.Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it’s my responsibility to make it better. (Gov. Tom McCall)

Why This Blog?

Jan 19, 2008: LOVESalem reaches the web, bringing a vitally needed message to Oregon's capital city: We must Oregon-ize to put the needs of people before the needs of cars. This requires that we live our environmental values -- that we LOVE (Live Our Values Environmentally) Salem -- by working to stop the Sprawl Machine.

The Sprawl Machine is a ravenous beast that feeds on green space, close-in neighborhoods, and property taxes and that excretes monstrous, ugly road projects that pollute the air, increase mortality and morbidity, promote climate change, weaken families and neighborhoods, and help weaken the social fabric and civic participation.

The Sprawl Machine works by constantly luring its prey with promises that the problems created by cars can be addressed by doing more of the same -- building more lanes, more bridges, consuming ever more money. In other words, the Sprawl Machine promises that we can keep doing the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result this time.

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